Puzzle or educational toy



L. F. GALEAZZO 2,162,278 PUZZLE 0R EDUCATIONAL TOY Filed May 21, 1937LEOPOLD F d3" EAZZO ATTORNEY Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATEfiFATENT QFFEQE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a puzzle or educational toy, which ispreferably stamped from sheet metal or suitable material or even bentfrom wire; and particularly to a type of puzzle which consists of threeparts which is normally assembled and mutually engaged in such manner asto appear impossible of separation without forcing or breaking thepuzzle apart, the puzzle being, however, readily taken apart by propermanipulation of the members.

The main object of my invention is to provide a puzzle or educationaltoy of the character indicated, which is capable of entertaining aperson while simultaneously a degree of education in mechanicalingenuity and concentration is attained to a beneficial extent.

Another object is toprovide a toy of, this na ture which may be stampedand shaped from sheet metal or other material which is made in sheets,such as cellulose acetate derivatives, and the like. A further object isto produce a puzzle or toy of this nature which is very economical tomake, and highly salable withal,

It is also an object of my invention so to make the indicated type ofpuzzle that it will be possible to apply advertisements and the like, toportions thereof, so that the puzzle may be used not only as a salablearticle, but also as an advertising medium.

It should also be mentioned that an important object is to introduce aninteresting novelty which is capable of appealing to young and old ofboth sexes.

Other objects, and the various advantages of my invention will appearmore fully in detail as this specification proceeds.

In order to facilitate the consequent comprehension of my invention toits fullest measure, the same is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a semi-perspective view of a puzzle or educational toy,embodying my invention in a practical form.

Fig. 2 is another view of the same disposed in initial position forreleasing or disassembling the main parts of said puzzle.

Fig. 3 illustrates the second position of the puzzlefo-r the samepurpose.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing an initially changed position of. a keymember of the puzzle.

Fig. 5 illustrates a more advanced position of the key with the otherparts substantially in the same position as before, and a still moreadvanced position of the key indicated in broken lines.

Fig. 6 shows the main parts in the same position as in Figs, 3-5 withthe key fully pushed through a slotted portion disposed beneath the mainmember or the puzzle.

Fig. '7 illustrates parts of the puzzle immediately or just before beingfinally or completely released.

Fig. 8 is a plan View of the main or ring member of the puzzle.

And finally, Fig. 9 is a semi-perspective View of the other main memberor bracket, with the key.

Throughout the views the same reference numerals indicate the sameparts.

In the practice of my invention, a main puzzle member, generallyindicated at l, which may be termed a ring member, comprises a generallyhorseshoe shaped portion 2, having the two side portions 3 and i, aswell as inwardly extending members 5 and t, which is connected by meansof a central loop i which extends inwardly into the inner space 8 withinthe ring member. This loop has an open slot 9 which is practicallyuniform in width and serves a purpose which will presently appear.

A second main member of the puzzle generally indicated at H], ispreferably of horseshoe shape and termed a bracket, which is providedupon the inner sides of both ends it and 52 with up Wardly bent lug l3and M, which are pierced by vertical slots or apertures 15, It,respectively. Bridging the gap between the ends H and i2 of the bracketmember I6 is a key member l'l having a long and generally uniform shank'18 which passes through the apertures l5 and It in lugs 13 and Id, andterminates at the ends in a pair of, flat heads l9 and it, which arepurposely made sufiiciently large to prevent these heads from passingthrough the apertures in the lugs of bracket It, which effectivelyprevents loss of said key member, or dissociation thereof from thebracket member. In mentioning the puzzle it might be stated thatoriginally one .of the heads can be made narrow so that it may be passedthrough apertures l5 and i6, and when the key is thus assembled with thebracket member said narrow head can be hammered slightly so as to assumea greater width and thereafter be prevented from actually beingwithdrawn from said apertures by its acquired width.

If we now assume that the puzzle has an assembled aggregate appearanceapproximately as shown in Fig. 1 for example, there is of course, nosuggestion in its appearance leading the observer to note how the ringmember I and bracket member Ill may be separated and completelydisassembled without violently wrenching these members apart.Nevertheless, if the ring member is held in one hand in the positionindicated in Fig. 2, and the bracket member moved by the other hand sothat one of the ends, as for example end II, is introduced into slot 9,it will thereafter be possible While guiding the bracket member so as tocause the lug M to envelop and pass in upon the elongated loop I, asshown in Fig, 3, until the bracket member has been drawn out intoextreme position in which said lug l4 practically touches the endmembers 5 and 6; loop 1 extending wholly past the aperture IS in saidlug [4.

If the key is then thrust inwardly until the head clears the inner endof loop I, it is a very simple matter to turn the key into the positionindicated in Fig. 4, wherein the shank l8 of said key commences to enterthe slot 9 at the outer end thereof. Then the key, upon slightlyswinging down the outer end ll of the bracket member, Will slide to theextreme outer position Where the near head 20 is located well within theslot of loop 1, as shown in Fig. 5. If the outer end ll of the bracketmember is raised, and the key pushed inwardly again, so that the head 20passes them through slot 9 past loop 1, as indicated in broken lineinFi'g. 5, it will be possible to turn the key so that .it'will bewholly disengaged from the slot and lie beneath the loop I and ends 5and 6 of the ring member in lugs l3 and I 4 of the bracket member asillustrated in Fig. 6.

If, at this point, the bracket member Ill is merely pushed inwardly,while the end I! is allowed to slide beneath ends 5 and ii of the ringmember, the lug M will easily slide 'ofi the inner end of loop 1 asinitially illustrated in Fig. '7, whereafter the bracket member will bewholly disengaged and separated from said ring member.

In order to again assemble the parts a substantial reversal of theprocedure which is described, is of course, carried out; and assemblingand disassembling may be repeated as often as may be desired in themanner indicated.

It is quite obvious that the ring member and bracket member, as well as'the key, may be made of sheet steel or of any other metal, or of wire,or any practical material of the known plastics rounded into sheets andstamped or pushed out, and may even be made of paper or fibre. While Ihave shown the ring member as having a rounded portion 2 which is quitesuitable for stamping advertising matter on the same, yet, the ringmember may be any other closed form as long as the slot 9 and the loop Iappear as part of the structure. In the same manner, the bracket membermay have any other form, and in fact, either or both of these membersmay have square, oblong, hexagonal, octagonal, or have any othergeometric outline as desired.

Manifestly, in View of the foregoing, variations may be resorted to andfeatures used without others within the scope of the appended claim.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim,-

A puzzle or educational toy comprising, in combination, a flat sheetmetal ring member provided with an inwardly directed projectionextending rigidly into the open area within the said ring member, therebeing an open slot extending from the edge of said ring member splittingsaid inward extension along the greater portion of its length, and afiat sheet metal bracket member normally linked with said ring memberand having a pair of spaced free ends each provided with a raisedperforate lug disposed upon the inner edge of the end at a right angleto the surface of said bracket member upon only one side thereof, theaperture in each lug being elongated in the direction of the upwardextension of the lug and sufficiently large to allow the lug to he slidoutwardly upon said inward projection, and said open slot in the ringmember allowing an end of the bracket member to be initially introducedthereinto in order to slide said lug outwardly upon the same, therebeing a straight slldably mounted key member bridging the ends of saidbracket member upon said one side thereof through the apertures in thelugs of said ends and terminating in flat imperforate head portionspreventing loss of said key member from said lugs, said key member beingcapable of being turned in said lugs in order to have one of the headsintroduced into the slot in said inward projection between the lug uponsaid projection and the inner end of the latter, and thereafter turnedin the slot so as to drop through the same and lie in said lugs beneathsaid inward projection upon the ring member, so that it is subsequentlypossible to slide said lug inwardly off the inward projection andrelease said bracket member and key member from assembled relation withthe ring member.

LEOPOLD F. GALEAZZO.

